NSW Nordic Ski Club

Gear Reviews, Opinions and Attitude

Stephen Poole, 1997

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Disclaimer: these opinions are provided in the hope that the information contained may prove useful, however you may have different tastes or needs. They should be used as a source of information not as an excuse for failing to do your own homework. Please do not blame, abuse or sue me if you disagree!

Scarpa T3 boots

These are the latest plastic tele boots from Scarpa, and the third in the line that began with the Terminator (T1), the original plastic tele boot. The T1 was designed for resort skiing and started off with 2 buckles and a power strap. Since its introduction the shell has been softened to allow easier flexing at the ball of the foot and a third buckle added. Weight is about 3.9 kg/pair.

While the T1 allows lots of control, many people wanted a lighter, softer boot for more general use. Scarpa's first response to this desire was the T2. This is a lower cut version of the T1 with a lower shell and inner boot, two buckles and no power strap at about 3.5 kg/pair. While the T2 is a bit lighter than the T1, earlier versions weren't much, if any, softer. As a result the T2 was a great resort or mountaineering boot, but still too heavy and stiff for touring (IMHO). Some people thought that the T1 was more comfortable for telemarking as the higher front spread the load over a greater area and in fact I have found it necessary to tape my shins to prevent skin loss with the T2 (painful!).

Compared with the T1 & T2, the T3 is lighter (about 2.7 kg/pair) and softer flexing. (Much softer than my old T2s.) The combination of the torsionally stiffer shell plus the buckle around the boot top gives much better transfer of power from the lower leg compared with softer, lower boots like Scarpa Tele Tours (leather with one buckle).

Compared with leather touring boots it is perhaps a little heavier than most, but the difference in downhill control is profound! I found myself going much faster than normal and doing huge, "Super-G" style turns with confidence. Edge hold on ice is not an issue. Rather than clenching your foot inside the boot , all that is required is to stand on the ski. Jump turns (tele or parallel) are easier, as is kicking steps on steep slopes. The boot edge can confidently be stood on when scrambling over rocks.

Is there a downside? That depends on what you intend using the boots for. The extra weight, while slight, is noticeable on long flats and uphills and when walking. The stiffness gives good support when walking but is a bit restrictive - this is not a walking boot that you can ski in, it is a ski boot you can walk in.

Other advantages are that the plastic shell never needs proofing and can't freeze solid like leather, the double boot is warmer than a single boot and easier to custom fit, the inner is good for hut use and there is less rubbing on the foot as any movement tends to occur between the shell and inner boot.

Scarpa say that only cable bindings are suitable for the T series boots, but I found the Voile 3 Pin Cable a good compromise for touring/telemark use with the T3 (see accompanying review).Note that the flex point is in a different place to the T1 and T2 however; with these boots you need the cables if the boot is to flex in the right place. Note also that some 3 pin bindings allow the boot to flex in different places due to the design of the bale. For instance the Voile binding tends to flex the boot a bit more at the ball compared to the Rottefella Super Telemark. With the T3 this difference is noticeable, but then you aren't supposed to use 3 pin bindings with this boot anyway, are you?

For touring I would recommend a binding with either a removable cable (Voile 3 Pin Cable), a forward cable flex point (BD Riva series), or an adjustable cable pivot point (BD 411, 412 or Rainey Superloop) over a binding with a fixed, rearward pivot like the Voile Classic Cable. This is especially true if you have small feet. The reason is that as the boot heel lifts the cable progressively stiffens, restricting movement. The further rearward the cable pivots, the faster the cable stiffness increases as the heel is raised. Too rearward a pivot or too tight a cable can also compress softer boots lengthwise, resulting in toe pinching.

If you like telemarking, suffer from cold feet or are an occasional resort skier, the Scarpa T3 may fill the bill. While the T1 and T2 may be better for resort use (if weight is not an issue), the T3 is more versatile, and unless you are a gorilla or a tele racer they should be stiff enough. Personally, I will be saving my leather boots for trips away from the Main Range from now on.

Voile 3 Pin Cable binding

As the name implies this is a combination 3 pin plus cable binding. The toe piece is the same as the regular Voile 3 pin binding with the addition of attachments at the sides for the heel cable. Why would you want both pins and cables? The answer is that the cables can be easily removed without tools and carried in the pack (or left at home). This is good for flat and uphill skiing as weight on the foot is reduced and it is easy to flex the boot forward and lift the heel. In this mode control is equal to that of any 3 pin binding.

For downhill performance the cable can be quickly fitted giving more lateral and torsional stability, keeping the ski closer to the foot during jump turns and giving more feedback during serious telemarking. In addition most plastic boot manufacturers recommend the use of a cable binding, so this is handy if you use different boots, or occasionally go resort skiing.

For short uphills the heel clamp on the cable can be released for freedom of movement and the cable left attached. Note that doing this means that the clamp will drag on the snow and can be damaged or perhaps cause a fall on steep slopes; I am not saying that you should do this, just that you can :-) The only downside of the Voile binding is that the bale is harder to close than most.

If you haven't been able to decide whether to get a cable binding or not this may be the answer.

Macpac Proton Activent jacket

Activent is a new fabric from W.L. Gore this year. (It has been available from Patagonia in their "Pneumatic" garments for a few years.) It is designed to be totally windproof, highly water resistant and extremely breathable. Gore do not claim that it is waterproof, in part because the fabric is too light for the seams to be tape sealable. Activent is great for "highly aerobic activities" where water from sweat is as big a problem as water from outside. Activent is very light and compressible but will not withstand continual heavy abrasion; this is not a fabric for scrub-bashing or carrying heavy packs.

The Proton features a high collar, very deep front zip, underarm zip vents, thumb loops, and a pocket on the lower back. The jacket can be folded up into the pocket and worn around the waist with the strap inside. The rear and sleeves are yellow for visibility and there is reflective piping on the seams. The rest of the garment is blue.

I have been using this jacket since March for cycling, skiing and general use and so far it has worked as promised. Wind does not get through at all and misty rain and light snow are shed easily. Due to the light weight and lack of lining it dries very fast when wet. So far I have been (un)fortunate enough to avoid heavy rain, so I can't comment on performance here.

The sleeves on my (early) model are a bit short but this has been rectified for later production. It would be nice for skiing use if there was an attachable hood, but I guess you can't have everything

The Proton is primarily targeted at cyclists but is equally suitable for XC skiing. It is especially good for day trips as it will keep out anything but the most horrendous weather and is light and compact. With the vents and the ability to easily push the sleeves up it doesn't get too hot unless going up a long windless climb in the sun. Since I've had this garment my GoreTex has had little use except in vile conditions as the Proton is much more comfortable most of the time.

Macpac Mountain Marathon pack

The Mountain Marathon is designed for mountain running and rogaining. This means that it is very light and very stable on your back, ideal attributes for skiing.

It is made from Macpac's UV40 tent fly fabric and so the fabric at least is waterproof. I haven't tried it in heavy rain so can't comment on seam leakage and the like. Best of all the pack only weighs 500 grams and folds into a small package. The sac has a capacity of 30 litres and has a large main compartment, an internal pocket suitable for small items like keys and wallet, water bottle pockets at the base, a shovel pocket/compression panel at the rear with daisy chain webbing and a small pouch on the hip belt suitable for sunscreen, muesli bars and the like; this is removable if desired. There is also a thin closed cell foam pad in the rear of the pack which can be removed for sitting. The sleeve for the pad can also accommodate a water bladder.

The harness includes contoured shoulder straps, a sternum strap, hip belt and diagonal cinch straps from the compression panel to the hip belt. The pack is hardly noticeable when skiing - there is virtually no movement at all. The Mountain Marathon would also be a good choice for mountain biking due to its stability.

If you are worried about the abrasion resistance of the UV40 fabric Macpac also offer the Ultramarathon, a similar pack made from a heavier fabric, Gridlock. This weighs 900 grams and has an ice axe loop.

In summary, virtually ideal for day skiing - if you carry less stuff than Ian Cross!

A plea to manufacturers/importers

Could we please have a ski that has:-

  1. single camber
  2. a negative pattern base that will climb but doesn't extend to the edge and interfere with turning (say something similar to that on the Swallow Telemark skis)
  3. more width (80-85mm at the tip) and enough sidecut (about 20mm). Such a ski should be stable and turn in cruddy snow plus bindings shouldn't scrape too often on ice or steep slopes
  4. enough torsional rigidity to hold an edge acceptably on firm snow and ice
  5. soft enough longitudinal flex to handle soft snow and allow turn initiation by lightweight and less aggressive skiers
  6. light overall weight
  7. a tolerable price!

This is definitely possible. There a number of skis on the market that almost make it but miss out on one or two features. Such a ski would be ideal for use on the main range or for touring in many snow conditions and would be good for resort use by the non-speed-obsessed. In other words, it would sell!

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